OCEAN’S BEST GIFT BY LYNDI ALLISON

Every morning, I wake up to another summer day in paradise. On this one, my friends and I chose to walk in low tide, in the soft wet sand, listening to the waves greet the shore and sometimes splash water up our legs. On this stretch of beach, the ocean leaves its best gifts—stones, shells, and sea glass. It’s here where I found a treasured heart-shaped piece of quartz. And it’s here where I asked the ocean to give my friends a special gift of their own. https://solesisterramblers.com/blogs/her-story/oceans-best-gift-lyndi-allison

REFLECTIONS FROM THE CALDERA, SANTORINI BY LYNDI ALLISON

As I planned our holiday in Greece and Turkey, I discovered many places I would like to see. But we could not see them all. Instead, I decided to visit at least one church/mosque/temple, one ruin, one bazaar, and trek one hike. I would try new food and share moments with my husband, daughter, and friend. https://solesisterramblers.com/blogs/ramble-logs/santorini-lyndi-allison

YOU KEPT YOUR BOOTS SO SHINY

You kept your boots so shiny. Stained my little brother’s soft, white undershirt black. You heated the shoe polish with a match. Rubbed your finger in circles to meld it with the leather. Removed the smudges and created a mirrored sheen.

If you haven't already done so, check out Lynda's runner up story "You Kept Your Boots so Shiny."  https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/downloads/printable/85-FE1-Lynda-Allison.html

Guest author Lynda Allison’s poignant memories of reconnecting with her estranged father in the twilight of his life.

caramilk

People say that life’s a journey, along which we enjoy fleeting moments where our lives juxtapose, before we move on.

My siblings and I caught glimpses of our estranged father on Sunday afternoons in the damp basement of an old church. We’d curl up like cats on the rectangles on the carpet where the sun streamed in. Dad’s oversized frame weighed heavily on the little chair he sat on while reading us snippets of the stories he pulled off the shelves. Noah, caring for an ark full of animals; David, slaying Goliath with a single stone; Daniel, shutting the hungry lions’ minds. While Dad read, we’d suck on the milk chocolate squares that had been mysteriously infused with caramel and cut the sweetness with ginger ale.

Then, for years he was gone.

https://conversationsondying.com/2016/03/09/caramilk/